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Raiding Companies of the Pirate Isles
Every pirate ship sails under the protection of a raiding company, or “Flag”. Some Flags rise and fall quickly, as they are held up by a temporary cult of personality around a particularly clever captain. Other Flags are carefully maintained and cultivated raiding ‘families’ that have lasted for generations. Each Flag has a captain, or admiral, (depending upon the current size of the Flag) that commands all other ships under that Flag. Per Corsair’s law, each Flag is a sovereign unto itself, and not subject to the rule of other Flags. Also By Corsair’s Law, fighting must not occur between Flags while within the sacred waters of The Sea of Treasures, so rivalrous Flags must often use methods of subterfuge to undermine each other. This is not a comprehensive list of flags, just a few of the more infamous ones. The Fingerless A white, skeletal hand with severed fingers upon a black field. A brutal cult of religious fanatics that are slavishly loyal to the goddess Sedna. They regularly practice the blood rites that are demanded by Sedna. They are not well-liked by the other Flags, but they DO seem to be able to keep the crazed goddess at peace. The Fingerless are almost all exclusively Tritons, but that is more a function of the religious nature of their organization than any actual discriminatory practice. Their leader is a Triton priest of Sedna named Bishop Circe. Despite their name, most of The Fingerless do retain their digits. Glasyan Raiders A pair of golden wings upon a black field. The Glasyan Raiders are recently established Flag led by a fierce cambion named Captain Iste. Though they certainly do not pass up an opportunistic raid, The Glasyan Raiders are somewhat infamous for their apparent ability to pull off any heist, no matter how improbable. King’s Flag A simple crown incorporated into an existing flag’s design. The Pirate King is the captain, male, female or otherwise, who holds the most impressive hoard of treasure. Corsair sets a powerful blessing upon whomever can show the greatest display of wealth. Because of the power of this blessing, The Pirate ‘King’ is the de-facto political leader of the Pirate Isles. Naturally, the various Flags are constantly jockeying for the position of Pirate King. (What Corsair’s blessing entails is totally up to the DM. For me, the Pirate King’s blessing involves an unsinkable ship, and a vaguely defined “command over the Sea of Treasures”). At current, there is no Pirate King. Leviathan’s Own A red dragon skull upon a black field. Leviathan’s Own have been operating in The Isles for almost as long as The Isles have existed. Their flag is so associated with The Pirate Isles that it is what most non-pirates imagine when they hear the words “pirate flag”. Very few outside of the Flag’s leadership know that they are ruled and directed by an ancient red dragon, Ereshkizan, that lives beneath the Boiling Atoll. The choicest items pillaged by Leviathan’s Own are thrown to the depths of the Boiling Atoll on moonless nights. The Shortbred Two skeletal hands drawn together in an embrace upon a black field. The Shortbred are a vicious band of gnomes and halflings that raid in small, fast ships that are (usually) able to outsail any of the larger vessels of the Elven navy. Though separation along racial lines is strictly forbidden by Corsair’s law, the Shortbred skirt this by citing a real practical need for their discrimination. They prefer short, small crew members so that their light raiding vessels can carry a deceptively large number of fighters. The Shortbred are co-ruled by Captain Adam Jimblerock and Captain Vanessa Canary; a rock gnome and halfling, respectively. Yi’s Navy A red cutlass upon a yellow field. Yi’s Navy are the immediate rivals to Leviathan’s Own, and likely the only Flag that could openly challenge them if it came down to war. Yi’s Navy are a highly bureaucratic organization that answer to a hereditary Admiral. The current Admiral, Yi XII, is a bold half-elf who is eager to prove his mettle to the other Flags. Thus, Yi’s Navy is currently acting a little more aggressively than might under a more seasoned admiral.